Whenever Chad Pennington sits at the office desk in his Long Island home, the Jets quarterback is reminded of the absolute nadir of his NFL playing career.
The reminder is a framed picture of Jaguars defensive end Paul Spicer bending Pennington’s right arm back as if he was about to snap a Thanksgiving Day wishbone in half.
That’s the play, which occurred a little more than a year ago (Sept. 25, 2005), that ended Pennington’s season in Week 3 and precipitated the second rotator-cuff surgery on his right shoulder in less than two years.
It’s the play that began the parade of doubt about Pennington and whether he’d ever resume his career.
It’s a play that certainly will pass through Pennington’s mind Sunday in Jacksonville, where the Jets will play Spicer and the Jaguars.
“I just have it on my desk so when I pass by it, I’ll see it every once in a while and it’s just a quick reminder of count your blessings and take advantage of the opportunity,” Pennington said of the picture.
Asked what his reaction is to the picture when he sees it, Pennington said, “I’m past the wincing. It’s pretty amazing that your arm could be in that position, no doubt about it. I have the picture to remind me how far that I’ve come and to remind me of what it’s like to be injured and not to take for granted having the chance to play.
“That’s part of football,” Pennington went on. “I don’t let injuries scare me. Injuries are part of this game. If you play scared, if you play not to get injured, you get injured.”
Spicer said he had no idea his picture graces Pennington’s desk. The defensive lineman also said he had no idea he hurt Pennington as badly as it turned out when the play occurred.
“I didn’t know he got hurt when it happened,” Spicer said yesterday from Jacksonville. “Two years ago when I got hurt (he broke a leg against Denver), everyone knew it right off the bat. When it happened (to Pennington) I didn’t know until after the game.”
Byron Leftwich, the Jaguars’ QB and former teammate of Pennington’s at Marshall, said he knew right away something terrible had happened to his close friend.
Leftwich said, “When I didn’t see him come back in the game,” is when he knew something had happened.
“I know Chad and I have seen him take some hits and shots and get up from them,” Leftwich said. “I saw the way he was holding that arm, and I was like, get up, get up. You don’t ever want to see anyone get hurt, especially a good friend of yours.
“I saw him in the tunnel after the game, right outside our locker room,” Leftwich went on. “He stopped for a second. He didn’t know what was going on, but I knew from his facial expressions and from his eyes that it wasn’t good. His eyes told me everything. I have known him long enough to understand. I knew he was really hurt and I knew he messed that shoulder up for the year.”
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The Jaguars yesterday downgraded DT Marcus Stroud (ankle, groin), DE Marcellus Wiley (groin) and WR Matt Jones (hamstring) from doubtful to out for Sunday’s game. RB Derrick Wimbush (knee) was upgraded from doubtful to questionable and practiced yesterday.
For the Jets, WR Laveranues Coles (right arm/wrist, calf) and Kendall (thigh) are again listed as questionable but are expected to play. The Jets have 19 players listed.